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It's OK to Rely
Isaiah 66:1-2 'This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."' (NIV)
 If you look around, you'll find that Paul's words of wisdom to the Corinthians ring true even today: there are still 'not many wise, not many noble' who serve the Lord (1 Cor 1:26). Most of us are just ordinary people, who believe that God can do extraordinary things with our lives. We're not relying on any special status or glory of our own; all we have is the favour, the mercy God has shown us and the gifts he has invested within us. For us, the ordinary and undistinguished of this world, the good news is that the Lord is not impressed with the things that make an impact on human beings. He's not moved by status; he's quite unimpressed with class; he doesn't measure our significance or importance according to our education or family background. When he comes into relationship with us, he doesn't do so out of need. He doesn't need anything we can give him, as it is all his anyway – it comes from him and ultimately belongs to him. Only one thing impresses him and draws his attention: humility and contrition of heart. The man or woman who impresses God is the one who 'trembles at his word'. What does that mean? It speaks of the person who lives with a sense of awe about the word of God and a constant awareness of how much we rely upon it. The word of God is our only true, unchanging measure for what is fundamentally right. It is our fallback position on every major question of life. The word of God is also a written reflection of the creative force that launched our universe. God spoke the universe into existence. His words carry great inventive power. We need to live in the light of his words everyday if we're to rise to the heights he has designed for us. Human society is impressed by the great, the lofty and the mighty; the person who needs nobody's word but their own. But God's eye is drawn to the small and seemingly insignificant, the person who needs his approbation to lift them up. God goes looking for the person whom others would bypass in their search for the one 'most likely to succeed'. There's no shame in starting out small. The only shame is forgetting where God found you, how much you owe him and how much you rely on his word ever day.
Prayer: 'Lord, I rely totally on you and your word today. My strength is not in myself, but in reliance on your promises. Help me to see your word at work in my life today.'
© 2003-2004 Mal Fletcher
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